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FESTIVAL 1O1: ROXAWAY

"Festival 101" WCU Students take the idea of classroom entrepreneurshipinto the real world of festival planning to present theRoxaway Music Festival

Two day event to feature 15 Asheville-area bands, two stages and 120 acres of free hiking and car side camping.

SeepeopleS

The Gorges Music Park in Lake Toxaway, NC will play host to the second annual Roxaway Music Festival, taking place September 22-23, 2006. Sponsored this year by Terrapin Beer, The Homegrown Music Network, Starlight Studios and Last Minute Productions, Roxaway boasts more than just a strong local lineup and affordable ticket price (advance tickets are only $30); in fact, The Roxaway Music Festival is brought to you by six Western Carolina University students dubbed, appropriately, "Six String Entertainment."

The students of Six String are currently earning degrees in areas such as Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Public Relations, and what better way to exercise those muscles than by planning a music festival, notoriously one of the trickiest and toughest events to bring to fruition? Thus, Six String Entertainment, LLC and The Roxaway Music Festival were born.

But don't expect your average college garage bands at Roxaway. Six String have cobbled together the best of Asheville's local talent, featuring The Afromotive, SeepeopleS, Mother Vinegar, Dirty 5 Thirty, After Dark and ten more acts ranging from acoustic bluegrass to DJs to rock& roll. SeepeopleS' bandleader Will Bradford notes, "I'm so excited to play Roxaway. There is such an easy flow and transfer of energy from the stage to the audience at these intimate events, and it creates a recipe that is simply ripe for having one of those 'moments' we all love and always remember."

Founder and fearless leader of Six String, Andrew Hoover—now a senior at WCU—mentions his motives for creating Roxaway: "This concert is a showcase for the area's best musicians and a great way for the students involved to gain a better understanding of their respective field of study and enjoy the festival experience." The students plan and execute all aspects of the festival, from booking to contract negotiation to dealing with health and insurance inspectors. Educational Supervisor Dr. Frank Lockwood adds, "Lessons learned from last year's concert have helped the student-owners of Six String Entertainment LLC present another great concert."

Presale tickets for the two-day festival, available at www.roxaway.com, are $30, which includes both days of music, parking fee and car side camping. The price of admission rises to $40 for the weekend at the gate, and Saturday only passes are $35 before 6pm and $25 after 6pm. Located only 45 miles from both Asheville and Western Carolina University, the school will offer a shuttle to students to take them back and forth to the festival grounds. On-site amenities include everything you'd expect from a top-notch festival, including food and beverage vendors, medic tents and merch vendors.

Affordable, unique and distinctively home grown, The Roxaway Music Festival is an event not to be missed in this summer’s endless sea of festivals. More information can be found at www.roxaway.com.

Looks like a good time, but be careful. This is the same venue where smilefest was held this past year, and, while the location is cool, THE POLICE PRESENCE IS CRAZY. They were sending aroung groups of cops to spy on folks while hiding behind cars and trees. When they spotted someone doing something illegal they would rush them from all sides, and there was definitely no leniency once someone was caught. Go to this fest and enjoy the great music and venue...just mind your ps and qs.

Dude Roxaway is nothing like that...I have been going to shows at Gorges long before Smilefest came there...Smilefest brings bad news Roxaway dosnt...and for thoughs of us who came to hear good music and spread good vibes there should be no problems...get your facts straght tonedeaf

hah! he said coxaway... that's hysterical. Agreed on the cops thing though, I highly doubt that a tiny festival like roxaway will cull the same police presence that smilefest, a festival notorious for its arrests and drug scene, does. Keep in mind, also, that Smilefest was probably required to hire that many cops for the insurance on the place--cops don't just hang out at festivals to nab people, you have to remember that someone is paying them, usually the promoters or the town itself. Somehow I doubt Roxaway has enough cash to hire that many cops on overtime.

SeepeopleS, however, is an awesome band, and I can't wait to see them again. I want to make t-shirts that say "roxaway out with your coxaway out," that's genius!

This was my first Roxaway, much better vibe than smilefest. It was also my first time seeing Seepeoples, they were killer! I just saw them at the emerald lounge again last week. they sort of bridge the gap between indie rock and electro jam. definitly reccommend them.Afromotive was good as well, very danceable